Illuminated license-plate holder



K. B. BRYNILDSON ILLUMINATED LICENSE PLATE HOLDER Filed Oct. 18 1923 35 K l INVENTOR, Kmzf.yrzilsonj .L ATTORNEY.

Patented Oct. 21, 1924.

UNITED STATES KNUT B. BRYNILDSON, F NEW RICHLAND, MINNESOTA.

ILLUMINATED LICENSE-PLATE Ill-IOLDER.k

Application filed October 18, 1923.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I. KNUT B. BnYNILnsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Richland, in the county of Waseca and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Illuminated License-Plate Holders, of which the following is.a specification.

This invention relates to illuminatedl license plate holders for auto driven vehicles, and has for one of its objects to improve the construction and increase the efficiency and utility of devices of this character.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this character having improved means for supporting an electric li ht bulb therein.

Vith-these and other objects in view the invention consists in certain novel features of construction as hereinafter shown and described and then specifically pointed out in the claims, and in the drawings illustrative of the preferred embodiment of the invention- Figure 1 is a front elevation, and

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view, of the improved device.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

Figure 4 is a transverse section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3, looking in the direction of the arrow.

Figure 5 is a transverse section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3, looking in the direction of the arrow.

Figure 6 is a detailed enlarged perspective view of a modified form of the attaching bracket.

`The improved device comprises an oblong sheet metal shell or casing formed with rear 10, top 11,' ends 12 and 13 and bottom 14, and a partial front 15, leaving the remainder of the front of the casing open.

Bearing over thc open portion of the front 46 of the casing is a closurel plate 16: Lwith one end extending beneath the overhanging inner edge 17 of the partial front portion 16, as shown in 3. The closure member 16 is formed with a. bead 18 around three sides which bears over the adjacent edges of the casing, and is attached to the body of the casing by clamp bolts 19.

Formed on the forward edge of the top 11 is an overhanging rib or shield 36 and Serial No. 669,330.

operating as a water shed to protect the members 16 from the elements.

The closure member 16 is pierced by apertures outlining the license number, and other required data, and bearing against the closure member is a transparent sheet 20, preferably of Celluloid. The clamp bolts 19 pass through the transparent sheet 20.

The back 10 and the end 12 of the casing are lined with a reflecting element 21 of any suitable material.

Preferablyl located between the reflector element 21 and the back 10 of the casing is a packing of yieldable'material such as soft card-board.

Inserted in the partial closure portion 15 is an annular frame 22 which supports a lens member 23 of colored glass, red when the device is located at the rear, or white when located at the front of the vehicle.

Formed in thel bottom member 14 of the casing beneath the portion 15 is an opening 24, and movably supported upon the bottom 14 is a slide 25 to partly cover the opening, theslide having a recess 26 which registers with a part of the opening 24 when the slide is in its inner position, as shown in Fig. 2.

The slide 25 is formed with a slot 27 through' which a headed pin 28 extends and thence into the body o the casing, by which means the slide is movably coupled to the casing.

Extending through the opening 24 of the casing and the recess 26 of theA slide is a two ended socket 29 for an electric light bulb 30, the outer portion of the socket bei-ng located externally of the casing in position to receive the conductor wires indicated at 31.

The socket 29 is secured to the casing by a small bracket32`and clamp screw The casing is adapted to be coupled to any suitable part of the frame work of a vehicle, for instance by slotted clip members as shown at 34, by the form of clip shown in Fig. 6. or any other suitable form, depending on the structure of the vehicle to which the device is to be attached.

The bulb 30 being located within the casing at one end the light rays are projected against. the reflector element 21 and thence through the openings in the closure 16 which indicate the license number and other required matter, and illuminates the data and renders it visible at night, and at the same time portions o t the light rays illuminate the lens member' 23. Thus one bulb only is required.

By arranging the socket double ended, the plug for the lamp socket can be detached or inserted from outside of the casing and independently of the bulb, or the bulb inserted or removed independently of the plug.

The improved device is simple in construction, can be made of any size or proportionor of any suitable material.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is disclosed in the drawings and set `forth in the specification, but it will be understood that modifications within the scope of the claimed invention may be made in the construction without departing from the principle ofthe invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

I-Iaving vthus described the invention, what is claimed as new is l. In a device of the class described, a casing having internalrelect'ing elements and a removable closure and bearing over the adjacent edges of the casing, said removable closure portion having transparent indicating data, and means for uniting the detachable closure portion to the casing.

2. In a device of the class described, an enclosed casing includingrtopand bottoni portion, a closure member for the front of -the casing and having beads bearing over the forward edges of the casing, means for coupling the closure to the casing and an extension on the top portion bearing over the upper portion of the tront and forming a shield tothe movable closure. v

In testimony whereof, I affix my signa.-

ture hereto.

KNUT B. BRYNILDSON. 

